Self-locking shelf and price tag molding assembly



MBLY

Oct. 13, 1959 E. c. STREATER SELF-LOCKING SI-ELF AND PRICE TAG MOLDING ASSE Filed July 22, 1957 2. /5 C 0 x W I]. 0 5 w United States Patent Ofi 2,908,399 SELF-LOCKING SHELF AND MOLDING. ASSEMBLY,

Edward c. Streater, Mound, Minn. 1 ApplicationJnly-22, 1951, Serial No. 673,377 7 t 5 Claims. or. 211-147 This invention relates to shelf assemblies, and more particularly to a self-locking shelf and price tag molding assembly.

The special molding'of the instant invention is intended to be utilized with simpleshelving and bracket means having rearwardly biased clamping abutments such as disclosed in my cd-pending application, Serial No. 449,- 065, filed August 11, 1954,. now U.S L Patent No. 2,833,420. I

It is a general object of the invention to provide a shelf assembly which is simple to construct and'erect and which will provide means for exhibiting prominently at the forward edge of a shelf the price of articles and other incformation relating thereto and .in association with the articles in their supported position. v More specifically, it is anobject of the invention to provide a price tag molding strip which will cooperate in the reinforcing particularly thin shelving members such as may be constructedfrom glass. r y

A still further object of the invention is to provide a shelf assemblagewhereinthe shelf is supported from underneath the brackets and is supported at its forward edge by a price tag molding strip, the entireassemblage being firmly retained and interlockedftogether with relation to a vertical supporting surfaceby simple biased abutment means.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in. connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same partsthroughoutfthe several'views and in which:"

Figure 1 is a perspective View taken from below of a section of. my assembly, the-shelf'and price tag molding being held in interlocked engagementwith the vertical supporting surface; I i

Figure 2 is a bottom view of my shelving assembly shown segmentally, the dotted lines indicating the positions of the bracket members in relaxed condition wherein the shelf and molding are not locked in place; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section of asegment of my shelving assembly taken on the line 3+3 of Figure 1.

With continued reference to the drawing, my shelving assembly'is intended to'"be' mounted on a vertical supporting surface indicated generally atj 10. Where the assemblage is. v =,rtically adjustable, Imay mploybracket support members'll as a'part of'the vertical surface, the bracket support members being provided with vertically spaced slots 12 capable of receiving bracket members which may be cooperatively secured therewith in the manner set forth in my above mentioned US. Patent No. 2,833,420.

Referring to Figure 2, the bracket supports 11 may be fastened as by screws 13 to a back panel 14, a portion of which has been grooved or offset at 15 to receive the bracket supports. The bracket supports 11 are vertically PRICE TAG and supporting of the shelf member,

positioned and horizontally Whichmay be'associated with'theg'edges of'the back panel 14 or may be recessed in alignment with the forward surface of the back panel supporting surface'10. I v

The shelf proper may constitute a board or panel '16, and it is within the contemplation of this invention that the shelf 16' range in thicknesses down to that of'ordinary glass paneling. ing surface 17, as shown in Figure 3, and further has a rear edge 18 adapted to abutagainst'the vertical support ing surface10 and a forward edge 19 as'shdwn in Figure 3. The shelf 16 is intended to supporuarticles '(notshown) and may be horizontally "disposed or angulated for the intended purpose. l Secured to the vertical supporting surface '10 are bracket members 20 which are shown in Fig. '2 in operative positions in full lines and type of springy members disclosed in my U.Si Patent No. 2,833,420, or any other, type of bracketmeans secu'rable to a vertical supporting surface and capable of supporting a shelf member 16.

Each bracket member'2 0 has an abutment 21 which is upstanding with relation to the shelf supporting edge 22. The front portions of bracket members 20 ext nd, in relaxed condition, obliquelyin relation with the rear portions which are normally oriented substantially normal to the vertical support and which are secured as by ears or hooks 23 inserted into the slots 12- of the'bracket supports 11; The rear portions of members 20 have laterally extending abutment'or earme'an's 24 adapted to brace the bracket members 20 againsthorizontal swinging so as to permit the front portions of the bracket members to be resiliently flexed from the dotted (relaxed) position of Fig. 2 to the full line position wherein the tendency to return to the dotted line position" provides'rearwar'd biasing 'of the upstandingabutments 21. ;I t'is'under stood of course, that anyother type of bracket means having a forward abutment 21 which is rearwardly biased may also be employed for purposes ofthe present invention. e An important part of the invention lies in the price tag molding strip 25 which performs the cooperative functions set forth below in connection with the shelf16 and the bracket means 20; The price tag molding '25 is generally elongated andprovided with a rearwardly extending channel 26 adaptedto receive the forward edge 19 ofshelf 16 and thereby lend'support to the shelf, particularly where the shelf is thin and has a tendency to bend when supporting articles are disposed thereover. The rearwardly extending channel-has an upper flange 27 and a lower flange 28 adapted to bear against the 'upper and lower marginal areas of edge 19 andare preferably tightly wedged thereagainst. v

The price tag moldingstripalso is-provided with a frontal tag holding means 29 which may be-in' the form of a concave elongated groove or track, the upper and lower edges 30 and 3 1 respectively of which provide edge gripping; members for price tags and'th'e like to 'be inserted therein. i f The price tag molding strip is also provided with means for cooperating with the rearwardly biased abutment 21 and such may conveniently take the form of an upwardly formed groove 32 formed intermediate the channel 19 and the frontal tag holding portion 29, as shown in Figure 3. The groove 32 has an area 33, at least a portion of which extends forwardly and is adapted to be engaged by the rearwardly biased abutment 21 when the bracket members 20 are sprung to the full line positions shown in Figure 2. A notched outer area 34 may Patented Oct. 13, 1959 spaced at convenient intervals at intermediate positions with the forwardly facing portion thereof substantially The "shelf 16 'has'an upper support which may comprise the same' be formed in the upper edge 22 of bracket member 20 to receive the lower flange 28 of the rearwardly extending channel. portion 19,. o

Inthe mountedfcondition. offthe price tag. molding. strip-,yas. showni'n Figure. 3, it will be observed that the. bracket member 20.,retains the molding strip fir-mly interlocked against. the edge. 19-of the. shelf.16. and that theentireshelf assembly is. thus held. rigidly with respect to the supporting surface without the aidof any additional fastening. members. The. price tag molding strip 25 not only. servestorretai identifying tags in association with particular shelf locations,.but also: supports the front edge 19- of shelf 16. and has. abutment. means adapted to cooperate-with a. rearwardly biased. abutment associated with the shelf brackets 20. In the. instant case, the brackets 20 simply provide their own biasing means through thelaterallybent configuration, utilizing the upstanding abutment 21'. and. the sprungupositioning of the bracket to place the entire assemblagelunder stress.

It will, of course, be understood that various. changes may be. made in the form, details,.arrangements and proportions of the parts. without departing from the scope of my invention.

Whatl claim is:

1. A self-looking shelf assembly for wardly on a vertical support comprising, a shelf having an upwardly facing supportingsurfaceand a rear edge for abutting. a vertical. support and a forward edge, bracket means, means for rigidly securing said bracket means to avertical. support to. extend forwardly thereof in supporting. relation with said helf, said bracket means supportingsaid shelf and having. a forward abutment,- means on the. bracket normally biasing the abutment rearwardly, arielongated molding, strip having ashelf edge engaging portion inter-fitting with the forward edge of said shelf and forwardly facing tag holding means, said molding strip further being provided with abutment means providing a forwardly facing surface cooperatively engaged by the rearwardly biased bracket abutment whereby the shelf, bracket means,. and. molding strip are firmly interlockedand connected to said. bracket securing means.

2. A self-locking shelving assembly for mounting forwardly on a. vertical support comprising, a shelf having an upwardly facing, supporting surface and a rear. edge for abuttinga .vertical support and aforward edge, bracket means,.. support means forrigidly securing. said bracket means: to. such. a vertical. support toextend. forwardly thereof inzsupporting .relationxwith said; shelf, saidbracket meansrsupportin'g said shelf. and having an upstanding abutment positioned: forwardly, thereon, said. bracket; means having means-normally'biasing, the abutment rearwardly, anelongated moldingstrip having a shelf-engagingportion ,interfitting withtheforwardedge of said shelf and a forwardly facing tag holding means,.saidmolding stripfurther beingprovided with. anzupwardly formed groove. extending longitudinallyin the underside thereof, said groove having a forwardly facing surface. arranged. in cooperative clamping, engagement. with the. rearwardly biased'upstanding abutment of saidbracket means whereby the .shelf,.bracket.meansand mo1ding strip.are firmly interlocked and connected to. said support means.

' 3.. A. self-locking shelving. assembly for. mounting forwardly on a vertical support comprising, a shelf having arr upwardlyfacing supporting surface, and arear edge mounting fornormally biasing the abutment rearwardly,

for abutting a vertical support and a forward edge, bradket means, support means for rigidly securing said bracket means to such a vertical support to extend forwardly thereof in supporting relation with said shelf, said bracket means supporting said shelf and having a forward abutment said. bracket. means having means an elongated molding 'stri'p-having a. rearwardly formed channel interfitting with the forwardedge of'said shelf and forwardly facing tag holding means,. said molding. strip further being provided with an upwar ly formed groove extending longitudinally at' the underside thereof, said upwardly formed groove lying between the rearwardly formed channel and the forwardly facing tag holding means and including a clamping surface cooperatively engaged by the rearwardly biased bracket abutment whereby the shelf, bracket means. and molding strip are firmly interlocked and connected. to said support means.

41 A self-looking shelf assembly comprising a vertical support, a shelf having an upwardlyfacing supporting surface and having a rear edge and a forward edge, bracket means, mounted on said vertical support and extending forwardly thereof in supporting relation with said shelf, said bracket means having a molding strip engaging element formed on its forward end and the bracket means. also having; means normally biasing said element rearwardly, and an el'ongated molding strip having av shelf'edge, engaging portion engagingthe forward edge of said shelf' and having. forwardly facing tag hold ing means, said molding. strip further being provided with abutment means including a forwardly facing surface cooperatively engaged by saidrearwardly biased molding strip engaging element of saidbracket whereby said shelf, bracket means, and molding strip are firmly interlocked and supported inforwardly extending relation to said vertical support.

5.. A self-locking shelf assembly for mounting forwardly on. an upright support, comprising a shelf having an upwardly facing supporting surface and a rear edge portion for abutting an upright support and a forward edge, bracket means,. means for rigidly securing said bracket means to an upright support to extend forwardly thereof in supporting relation with said shelf, said bracket means supporting said shelf and having a forward abutment, said bracket means havingmeans'normally biasing the abutment rearwardly, an elongated molding strip having a shelf edge engaging portion interfitting with'the forward edge of said'shelf, said molding strip further being provided with abutment means providing a forwardly facing surface cooperatively engaged by the rearwardly biased bracket abutment whereby the shelf, bracket 4 means,'and molding strip are firmly interlocked and connected. to said bracket-securing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS.

897,076 Eustis Aug. 25, 1908 1,702,937 F'riedemann Feb. 19, 1929 2,083,791 Meyer June 15,1937 2,352,100 Horning June 20, 1944 2,608,777- Schuler Sept. 2, 1952 2,631,808 Isaac Mar. 17,1953 2,856,711 Hobbs Oct. 21, 1958 

